Hawthorn Suites, TREX, & Lost Caverns Golf - Memorial Day Weekend - Day 1

We arrived in Orlando this past week for our 2nd Annual Blond Family Memorial Day Weekend! Due to the travel restrictions and the fact that all theme parks are closed, hotels in the Orlando/Kissimmee area are dirt cheap currently. Things are slated to start opening the first week in June, so I'm sure that is about to quickly change. We did call ahead to make sure some of our favorite attractions were open, including TREX at Disney Springs, and all the mini golf courses in the area.

We arrived at our hotel, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham around 1pm, and despite the posted check in time being 3pm, we were checked in right away and headed to our room.

Due to some confusion/internet issues our original booking was cancelled, and when I went to rebook all that was available was an ADA king size suite (Handicap Accessible). According to the booking agent the only difference would be a walk in shower instead of a bath/tub combo. There was a bit more to it then that.

Here‘s a Pros and Cons of our room at the Hawthorn Suites...

Pros: Super comfy bed, clean common areas, "Suite" with bedroom door that separates sleeping arrangements, Price ($70ish a night)

Cons: Outdated and rough decor, tiny TVs, small pool that was way too busy, Location not the greatest, No counter space in the ADA bathrooms

I quickly realized that even for the price, the hotel was not what I was expecting and so we actually ended up cancelling the last two nights and moving to a different hotel (more about that later).

After settling in (as much as possible) we headed down to Disney Springs to check out the new setup. Masks are mandatory, as are temperture checks for all guests. A lot of restaurants and shops were open, but a few of our favorites were not. The Rainforest Cafe, The LEGO Store, and World of Disney were all still closed.

We ended up eating at TREX which is one of our favorites and because of the reduced crowds, we were sat immediately. Last Memorial Day Weekend, the wait was upwards of 2 hours to give you contrast.

To finish the night off we went and played mini golf at Lost Caverns Golf on International Drive. I got a great deal on Groupon which worked out to be around half price. When we first pulled in I was slightly concerned because it didn't exactly look like what I was expecting (back of a parking lot in between two buildings). But trust me, not only was it a fun course, but the views at the top were amazing! It overlooks a giant lake, which we couldn't see when we first pulled in. The sunset was amazing and it as a great ending to our first night!

Up next... Day two and our awesome new Hotel!...